Some Fundamentals to Recruiting

Project management teams are gradually seeing budgets increase and projects restart, leading some to begin recruiting to replenish their ranks. For teams just getting back into the recruiting groove, here are some quick fundamentals to make the process efficient and productive.

Start looking early. Even if your project management team hasn’t received final approval to bring in new members, it’s sometimes helpful to scope out the resumes posted by project management professionals on job board and business networking forums.

Consider tomorrow’s needs. Your Project Team’s workload will probably be expanding beyond the projects on today’s list, so it’s important to plan for the skills, expertise, and staffing you’re likely to need in the coming months and maybe even years. Look for candidates with skills that complement

Set expectations with candidates. It’s probably safe to assume that if your Project Team is hiring, others are as well, and candidates may be juggling interviews and potentially job offers. You’ll be doing your team and your candidates a favor by being candid about a realistic timeframe for making a hiring decision.

Set expectations within your Project Team. Don’t tell your team you’re hiring a junior-level professional if everyone knows you need someone with years of experience. At best your search for a new team member with the right mix of skills and expertise will be inefficient—at worst you’ll have existing employees assuming they have a chance of being promoted to fill the high-level gap.

Leverage your network. The old adage says the best candidates probably already have jobs, and a good way to connect with those folks not openly looking for new opportunities is through your Project Team’s network of contacts. Tap industry associations and regional professional groups to find people who might be interested in your new job opening.